List of Book of Mormon translations
As of 2021, the Book of Mormon has been translated into 115 languages,[1] and there are active projects to translate it into a number of other languages. Portions of the book, as opposed to complete translations, have also been conducted for another 20 languages. These tables show all the versions of the Book of Mormon that have been translated. Unless otherwise indicated, the translation was financed and the resulting text published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which is by far the largest church in the Latter Day Saint movement. Not all translations are currently in print. As of 2021, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints continues to publish at least portions of the Book of Mormon in 115 languages.[2] The Community of Christ, the second largest church in the Latter Day Saint movement, has also published its own translations of the work in various languages, though becoming increasingly less common to find. The Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite) has published their own respective editions of the Book of Mormon in Italian, Spanish, and various small languages meant only for Locals, and published in the Respective Nations. The Church of Christ (Temple Lot) publishes the Book of Mormon in Spanish.[citation needed]
The following list provides details on officially translated versions of the Book of Mormon published by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as well as translations in languages not published by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Complete translations[]
No. | Date | Language | Title | Primary locations of language | Notes | Image | Approx. no. of speakers |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1830 | English | The Book of Mormon | Anglosphere, minorities elsewhere. | Translated by Joseph Smith. Most recent edition 2013. There are a number of English editions by multiple publishers. | 400,000,000 as a foreign language: 600–700,000,000 | |
2 | 1851 | Danish | Mormons Bog | Denmark (incl. Faroe Islands & Greenland) | [3] most recent edition 2005; originally translated by Peter O. Hansen | 5,500,000 | |
3 | 1852 | French | Le Livre de Mormon | France, Canada, Belgium, Switzerland, and a number of African countries | [3] First in a Romance language; original translation credited to John Taylor and Curtis E. Bolton (assisted by Louis A. Bertrand and others) | 76,800,000 (as a foreign language: 274,000,000) | |
4 | 1852 | Welsh | Llyfr Mormon | Wales, minority in Argentina | Most recent edition 2000. The only translation in a Celtic language; originally translated by John S. Davis.[4] | 700,000+ | |
5 | 1852 | German | Das Buch Mormon | Germany, Austria, Switzerland with minorities elsewhere in Europe | [5] most recent edition 2003 | 90,000,000 | |
6 | 1852 | Italian | Il Libro di Mormon | Italy, Switzerland, minorities elsewhere | [3] most recent edition 1995 | 69,000,000 | |
7 | 1855 | Hawaiian | Ka Buke a Moramona | Hawaiian Islands (minority in Continental United States) | [3] first non-European language translation; translated by Jonatana Napela and George Q. Cannon | 24,000 | |
8 | 1869 | Deseret Alphabet (English) |